Suenen C + C Blanc de Blancs Grand Cru Extra Brut, Champagne

The Suenen C + C Blanc de Blancs Grand Cru Extra Brut is a beautifully precise grower Champagne from Aurélien Suenen, one of the brightest stars of the Côte des Blancs. Suenen, who took over his family domaine in 2008, has become widely admired for his terroir-first philosophy, farming organically and working with minimal intervention to allow each village’s chalk soils to shine through. The C + C cuvée is drawn from grand cru Chardonnay vineyards in Cramant and Chouilly – hence the name – both of which are famed for producing wines of tension, minerality and refined power.

In the glass it is pale straw with green tinges and a fine, persistent bead. The bouquet is pure and elegant, offering citrus zest, green apple and pear alongside chalk, almond, white flowers and delicate brioche. On the palate it is taut and mineral-driven, with bright citrus and orchard fruit balanced by racy acidity and a firm chalky backbone. Subtle savoury and nutty notes from lees ageing add depth, while the finish is long, saline and finely etched, a hallmark of great Côte des Blancs Chardonnay.

Food pairings lean into its chalky freshness: oysters, scallops with lemon butter, Dover sole, or sashimi. It also pairs beautifully with creamy goat’s cheese or triple-cream styles like Brillat-Savarin. With 8 to 12 years of cellaring potential, it develops honeyed, nutty and toasty complexity while retaining its chalky precision.